Chelsea FC: Diego Costa To Miss Champions League Clash With Maribor

Chelsea FC striker Diego Costa missed Saturday’s Premier League clash with a hamstring injury that he picked up when on national duty for Spain in a pair of Euro 2016 qualifiers. Jose Mourihno revealed this weekend that Diego Costa will also miss the midweek trip to Slovenia when the Blues travel to take on Maribor in the Champions League.

More from Champions League

Diego Costa has had his fair share of injury issues this season and there was no reason for him to play two matches for Spain in the span of a week. He was already an injury doubt going in to the international break and his national team boss Vicente Del Bosque should have known better than to play him in both matches.

The match against Slovakia was tougher than imagined for Spain but even after losing there Del Bosque should have rested him for the match over minnows Luxembourg. The only good thing that came out of that match was that Diego Costa broke his Spain duck but it came at a heavy price for Chelsea FC.

Chelsea FC should be able to handle Maribor even without Diego Costa but there is a race to get him fit for the trip to face Manchester United on the weekend. The suddenly resurgent United look very capable of scoring goals and Chelsea will have to be at their best both defensively and offensively against a dangerous team. Jose Mourinho was noncommittal on if Diego Costa will be fit to play on the weekend but that would certainly be ideal.

Follow us on Twitter at @PrideOLondon

Like us on Facebook at The Pride of London